


The Adventures of Saba-man and Mackerel-boy

by Right___Meow



Category: Free!
Genre: Bottom Tachibana Makoto, Journalist! Haru, Journalist! Makoto, Like, M/M, Oops..., Saba-man, Sabaman, Scar look what you've created XD LOL, The Phantom Thieves are also mentioned, Top Nanase Haruka, and while Nagisa isn't physically present he's implied to be off with Rei at one point ;), half the story is plot, half the story is smut XD, haru claims that tachibooty all over the office XD, ladygt's art is a gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 14:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4964803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Right___Meow/pseuds/Right___Meow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nanase Haruka is Iwatobi’s best and brightest journalist—known nationwide for having successfully exposed The Phantom Thieves, and helping to bring the duo to justice. </p><p>However, with Tokyo golden-boy Tachibana Makoto threatening to steal his spotlight at The Iwatobi Press, Haruka grows determined to outperform his younger adversary.</p><p>Unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned, when their editor-in-chief, Ryugazaki Rei, assigns them the task of uncovering the mystery behind Iwatobi’s beloved idol, Saba-man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Adventures of Saba-man and Mackerel-boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DraconianScribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraconianScribe/gifts).



> In honor of the incredible and lovely rinrinsamurai AKA DraconianScribe's birthday, here is a makoharu AU she’s been thirsting for ever since ladygt posted her beautiful fanart of Saba-man, which you can find here: _**ladygt.tumblr.com/post/127851569357/sabaman**_
> 
> Happy birthday, beautiful Scar! Thank you for being such a sweet and fun friend!! :D I know I’m not the only one who is constantly touched and blessed by your presence  <3

_Target sighted._

Haruka Nanase slightly adjusted his glasses to optimize his view as he leered around the corner to catch a glimpse at the latest addition to The Iwatobi Press’ news team.

The rumor was that the man had been recruited from the big city of Toyko, and in the past year had landed several of the biggest news stories to hit the press.

Haruka couldn’t say for certain whether the rumors were baseless, but judging by the man’s appearance, Haruka could see how he’d managed to become so successful in obtaining pertinent interviews and information.

The man in question wore a soft expression—his eight-shaped eyebrows giving emphasis to his warm, forest-green eyes.  The strong bone structure of his face and jutted jawline gave off a great sense of masculinity.

Overall, the man was beautiful.  Despite wearing a full-bodied suit, Haruka could still make out the definition of the man’s arms and legs—his thighs in particular appearing to strain against the constricting fabric of his dress pants.

_Target’s name:  Tachibana Makoto.  Age: 26.  Orientation: Unknown.  Level of Threat:  Severe._

Haruka couldn’t help but scowl at the man now shaking hands with the commander-in-chief of The Iwatobi Press.  Haruka had worked hard to maneuver his way through the ranks of diligent working photographers and journalists to reach his current position. 

Sure, interviewing others certainly hadn’t proved to be his strongpoint—and his personality on camera left something to be desired—but he was thorough.  He was competent.  And he would willingly lay everything on the line to get a good story.

And now, in the midst of his well-deserved and rising success, comes some well-renowned, up-and-coming writer from the big city to steal the spotlight.

_Not on my watch._

Haruka casually sauntered past the break room, being sure to time his steps along with Tachibana’s so that the two would come into contact in three…two…

“Oh!  I’m so sorry, I almost didn’t see you there!”  Tachibana rubbed at the back of his neck in embarrassment, his eyes closing in a soft expression.  “I really should be more careful walking around corners here—I’m not used to working in such a small office!”

Haruka narrowed his eyes at the taller man.

“Ahh, sorry!  I didn’t mean for it to come out that way—I’m not trying to be offensive, it’s just that Toyko’s workrooms are typically a bit larger than those in smaller cities.  Oh!  I’m Tachibana Makoto, by the way—it’s nice to meet you!”

Makoto cutely titled his head to the side—his eyes closing once again into a soft, welcoming expression.  He extended his hand towards Haruka, who hesitated before reaching to accept the gesture.

Haruka was surprised by the strength and warmth of the larger man’s hand—despite his innocent, almost naive appearance, the man clearly held a great sense of control and power in his grip.

“Nanase Haruka.”

Makoto’s eyes widened at the sound of the name—his long lashes fluttering in realization.

“You mean the Nanase Haruka who exposed The Phantom Thieves!?  I heard it wasn’t even your assigned story, but you managed to figure out their movements and track them down!”

Haruka blinked back in response—his expression unmoving.

_That’s right— **I’m** the one who covers the stories here.  It’s good you learn your place._

Unfazed by Haruka’s anti-social behavior, Makoto continued on.  “I heard you have an in with the police force and got to interview the culprits while they were being held for questioning.  Weren’t you scared!?  What was it like!?”

Makoto’s eyes shone with a boyish excitement as he anxiously awaited Haruka’s response.

The stoic man flinched backwards as Makoto inched closer—eager to hear how Haruka had managed to cover and expose one of the biggest crime syndicates in Japan.

“It was nothing, really.  I just did what was necessary to get the story.”

Makoto resumed his upright position—allowing Haruka to regain his personal space.  “Wow—you really are the real deal, hee hee!  I’ve heard a lot about you, Nanase-san.  I look forward to learning from you!”  The newcomer humbly lowered his head in accordance to his words.

Haruka took in the sight of the broad and handsome man bowed before him.

 _Hmm…I could get used to this view._ A wicked grin stretched along Haruka’s thin lips at the thought.

“Oh, good!  I see you two have already met—that’ll make this assignment easier.”  Haruka and Makoto turned towards the sound of their boss and editor-in-chief, Ryugazaki Rei.

“Oh, Ryugazaki-san!”  Makoto hurriedly stood back up, standing fully erect as he awaited further instruction from his new employer.

“Will make _what_ easier, exactly?”  Haruka narrowed his well-groomed brows at his long-time friend and chief.

“Well, since Tachibana-san is new here, I figured the quickest way to get him acclimated to Iwatobi is by working alongside our lead journalist for our next big story.”  Rei smiled at Makoto reassuringly, before shifting his gaze to settle onto Haruka—his eyes sending the shorter man a clear warning that he’d be better off going along with the request instead of making a fuss.

“Oh, you mean I’d get to work with Nanase-san?  Ahh, that’d be great!  I’m sure I could learn a lot from his reporting and investigative style!”  Makoto beamed with excitement at the chance to learn from Iwatobi’s best and brightest.

“Yes, that is my hope as well.  Haruka-san?  Don’t you agree this would be a great opportunity?”

Haruka grumbled in response.  He was not too keen on the idea of having to expose and explain his well-seasoned and thoroughly cultivated journalism habits to his new adversary.

His blatant resilience and disdain didn’t go unnoticed by Makoto.  “Umm, I mean, unless I’d only get in Nanase-san’s way, I don’t want to impose—“

“Nonsense!  Haruka-san would be thrilled to have you.”  Rei’s soft smile set into a firm line—his lids slowly opening as he stared directly at Haruka.  “I’m correct in making that assumption, right, _Haruka_?” 

The intonation in Rei’s voice when he said his name caused Haruka’s blood to run cold.   Under such an intense and threatening gaze, Haruka was unable to fight against Rei’s request.

“Yes…” 

Makoto shifted his gaze from Haruka to Rei, appearing at a loss of how to rectify their given situation.

Rei quickly resumed his kind exterior.  “Wonderful!  Then tonight you two will begin the process of gathering intake on Iwatobi’s latest headline: Saba-man.”

“Saba…man?”  Makoto tilted his head questioningly.

“Ahh, my apologies, Tachibana-san.  I forgot that you just moved here this weekend, so you’re still unfamiliar with Iwatobi’s pop culture—lately there have been sightings of someone the people are referring to as ‘Saba-man,’ who goes around town, dressed in a uniform, upholding justice.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock.  “R— _really!?_ There’s actually people like that around here!?” 

Haruka furrowed his brows at the taller man.   _What do you mean people ‘like that?’_

Haruka shifted his attention back to his chief.  “He’s not a pop idol, Ryugazaki.  He’s a hero.”

Rei laughed in response.  “Yes, yes—of course.  But all that being said, the people are highly curious about this man, and if he had any connection to helping bring down The Phantom Thieves.  This could easily become our top story, and as such I need our best journalists working on it.  Do you two think you can handle it?”

“Yes, sir!” 

“Whatever…”

Makoto quickly turned his head towards Haruka—surprised by his blatant responses and disregard for referring to Ryugazaki without any form of honorifics despite him being their boss.  Haru sighed in response—not caring to waste any more time or energy explaining himself to his rival.

After all, from the sounds of it, they’d be seeing a lot of each other over the next few weeks.“Wonderful!  I’ll make arrangements for you two to have one of our vehicles in the evenings.  If you two have any questions or require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you very much, Ryugazaki-san!  We promise to do our best!”

Haru narrowed his eyes at the man standing next to him.   _When did I ever make such a promise?  Don’t go thinking that because we’re a team now, you can speak for the both of us…_

A knowing smile settled along Rei’s lips.  “Yes, I believe you two will.”

 

* * *

 

 ****“Ahh, so this is how Nanase-san conducts his ‘stake-outs?’”

“Hush.  You’re being too noisy.”

“S—sorry!”

Makoto and Haruka were positioned on top of the roof of an abandoned warehouse located near the shoreline—the location had been known for housing sketchy transactions in the past, but Haruka had found it to be the ideal location for looking out over the broad expanse of Iwatobi.  From the roof, Haruka could observe and identify even the slightest of disturbances—whether it be in traffic, an alleyway, the streets, or a park: through his thin frames, Haruka could see it all.

“Umm, Nanase-san, you mentioned that this used to be where a lot of crimes took place…Are you sure there isn’t any chance of us getting caught up in anything…bad?”  Makoto audibly gulped in fear at the thought—his hands slightly shaking in apprehension.

“Relax.  I’ve worked alongside the Iwatobi police force to put an end to all of that.  You’re safe here.”

Makoto watched Haruka carefully, as if reading to see if his words were genuine, or just an attempt at getting him to shut up.

Seemingly put at ease, Makoto’s shoulders relaxed—a small smile creeping along his lips.  “Okay, I trust you, Nanase-san.”

Haruka felt a slight blush creep along his skin at the authenticity of Makoto’s voice.  Embarrassed, he tried to avert Makoto’s attention.   “Regardless, you should know a true journalist can’t allow their own weak-heartedness to interfere with their work.”

Sure enough, Haruka had diverted the embarrassment back onto Makoto.

 “You’re right, Nanase-san.  I’m sorry, it looks like there really is a lot for me to learn!  I’m lucky to have been placed as your partner.”  Makoto tilted his head to the side—a bright, angelic smile settling onto his tanned features.

 _Quit that._  Haruka scowled at the alluring sight.  He couldn’t allow himself to become distracted—especially by his main rival.

Even if he was proving to be rather adorable…

“Ahh, Nanase-san, look!”  Makoto pointed towards a large truck, backing up near Iwatobi’s shoreline, about a mile away.

“What do you think it’s doing?”

Haruka watched intently—certain this was the same vehicle he had witnessed nearly a month ago, pouring contaminants into the pristine water.

Haruka had always had a soft spot for the water, and loved feeling its presence against his skin and through his hair as it engulfed him in a reassuring wave of familiarity and comfort.  In the water was where Haru felt free—like he could swim and release all of the day’s stress and anxieties through his strokes, and allow them to sink to the bottom, where they could no longer touch or reach Haruka.

As such, he had grown fiercely dedicated and devoted to protecting the water, and ensuring it stay pristine for all those to enjoy.

And he’d be damned if he let some corrupt corporation soil it with their dirty business.

“Let’s go, Tachibana.  We need to get closer.”

“Ehh!?  But Nanase-san!  I thought we were supposed to be on the lookout for Saba—”

“Right now the water is in trouble.  Isn’t that more important?”  Haruka turned his head to meet Makoto’s gaze—his ocean-blue eyes coursing with pain and anxiety at the possibility of not being able to help the water.

Able to read the desperation in Haruka’s expression, Makoto quickly conceded.  “Alright, Nanase-san.  I’ll drive us.”

                                           **  
**

* * *

 

The two approached the harbor minutes later, and Haruka stealthily maneuvered his way to a nearby tree, where he took out his camera and began snapping photos of the trucks license plate and branding.

“A fox?  I don’t know of any corporations with that logo.”

Haruka jumped as he spun around to come face-to-face with his handsome rival.

“When did you get there—and how did you sneak by undetected?”  Haruka felt himself growing increasingly frazzled the longer he stared into Makoto’s forest-green hues.

“Don’t worry, I crawled so no one could see me—I know I’m a little, uhh, _big_ , so I picked up the habit of army crawling back in Tokyo when I needed to go unseen.”

Haruka stared at the taller man.  “Why didn’t I hear you coming up behind me, then?  What other techniques did you learn in Tokyo?”

Makoto bashfully scratched at the back of his neck, “Ahh, I really don’t know that much…I didn’t try to sneak up on you, I think you were just too caught up in taking pictures to notice me.”

Haruka frowned at the taller boy.  “Are you saying I didn’t hear you because I let my guard down and became careless?”

Makoto’s face turned a lovely shade of red.  “N—No! Not at all!  I just meant—umm, it’s not that I’m anything special, I didn’t try to sneak up on you—Ahh!  But, I also didn’t mean to imply you were being careless!  I just—unng…”  Makoto covered his red face with his large hands—his shoulders slumping forward as he tried to shrink in on himself.

Haruka found himself feeling less offended, and more heavily entertained by the adorable display before him.

“So noisy…relax, Tachibana.  I’m not upset.”

“You’re…you’re not?”  Makoto slowly spread his fingers so he could peak at Haruka.

“No, I’m not.”

Makoto seemed to relax at Haruka’s words.  He slowly removed his hands from his face, as a slight smile spread across his lips. 

“Nanase-san, I’m sorry if I’ve been a bother to you.  I know you could handle this case just fine without me, but I really was excited to hear I’d get to work with you.”  Makoto’s cheeks flushed once more, his eyes shifting towards the ground.

“To be honest, before moving here, I read some of your stories and was really impressed—at first, I was hesitant about moving to such a small city, but I felt like I could learn a lot from someone like you.”  Makoto finally brought his gaze to meet Haruka’s.

“That’s why earlier today, when we met and I found out I had a chance to work with you, I was really excited!  But that was selfish of me—I should’ve known someone like me would only get in the way of someone as talented as you.”  Makoto closely observed Haruka’s reaction—appearing like a golden retriever waiting for its master to either send him away, or beckon him closer.

_This isn’t right…he’s supposed to be my rival.  We’re supposed to try and outperform the other.  He should be bragging about his journalist standing in Tokyo, and all the awards he’s won.  So why is he acting so humble and supportive of me?  Does he honestly not realize what a talented journalist he is?_

“Tachibana, I may be older and have more experience than you, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best person for this job.  Rei assigned us both to this story because he felt that was what’s best for the team.  Don’t discredit your own abilities.”  Haruka felt a twinge of heat surface along his skin.  He wasn’t used to giving such open compliments—especially to people he was supposed to despise.

“R—really, Nanase-san?  You really think I’m a good writer?  Ahh, but I haven’t written anything for Iwatobi yet!  So how could you—“

Finally piecing it all together, Makoto’s ears reddened at the tips as he realized he wasn’t the only one to have looked up and read the other’s work.

“Haru.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in curiosity.  “Wha—huh?”

“We’re not in the office, so just ‘Haru’ is fine…” the stoic man turned his head aside, feeling embarrassed by the growing blush along his pale features.

Makoto’s eyes widened in excitement.  “Oh!  Okay, then please—call me Makoto!”  The taller man tilted his head to the side, his eight-shaped eyebrows arching above lidded eyes, as a welcoming smile spread along his lips.

“Makoto.”

“Mmm?”

“You’re standing on my bag.”

“Huh?”

“My bag—I need it.”

Makoto glanced down to find that sure enough, in the time he and Haru had been talking, he had somehow closed the distance between the two, and had stepped on Haru’s bag containing all of his equipment.

“Ahh, right!  Sorry, Haru!”  Flustered, Makoto attempted to step back, but caught himself against the bag’s strap.

“Wait, Mako—unf!”  Haru had tried to reach out and catch his adversary before he ended up stumbling to the ground, but the Toyko native proved to be dead weight, causing Haru to be drug along with him.

“Ahh, sorry, Haru!  Are you okay!?  Are you hurt at all?”  Makoto quickly began examining the shorter boy lying on top of him—running his large hands through Haru’s obsidian locks, before absentmindedly placing a hand against the small of Haru’s back.

“You caught my fall, so I’m fine.  What about you—how’s your head?”  Returning the gesture, Haru ran his hand through Makoto’s fluffy hair, along the back of his head—gingerly feeling for any signs of lumps, scrapes, or bumps.

“Umm, thanks, Haru—I think I’m okay, too.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”  Haru shifted his gaze from Makoto’s hair back to his eyes—immediately regretting doing so the instant his vision became filled with the most beautiful shade of green he’d ever seen.

_Fuck, he’s beautiful._

Despite realizing how questionable their current situation appeared—with Makoto’s hands on the small of his back and threaded through his long hair—and Haru’s abdomen pressed firmly against Makoto’s own, legs strewn together from the fall—Haru couldn’t bring himself to look away.

“H—Haru?”

The amount of tender warmth and acceptance in Makoto’s eyes was unlike any he’d ever seen before.  Haru was so captivated by the alluring sight, he lost all will to break away or remove himself from the situation.

“Hey!  What’re you two doing over there!?”  Both men jumped at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and quickly scrambled to their feet.

“Oh, my _sincerest_ apologies!  Did we interrupt you two?”  A man in leather approached the duo, followed by two others in similar apparel.

“What’s this, one of em’s gotta camera—whaddya think of that, Uozumi?”

“Oooh, we gotta couple of spies, do we?  I’m sure the boss would love to hear about this!”

“Oi, Minami!  Call for another vehicle—we’ve got a couple of friends here who’d like to meet the boss.”

Makoto looked as if he would faint any second—his body stiff as a board as a few men closed in on his and Haru’s location.

“Makoto, stay calm.  I’m sending an S.O.S. to my connection at the police force.”

Makoto side-eyed his partner.  “I’ve got a tracking device in my phone in case of situations like these.  I’m currently doing the same.”

Haru felt himself smirk at how alike the two had thought and responded to the situation.  Haru figured he shouldn’t have doubted Makoto’s ability, despite being faint-hearted.  He couldn’t have become a top-notch journalist without a few connections and resources.

“Oi, did we say you two could talk!?”  One of the men swiftly lunged towards Haru.  Makoto quickly jumped in the way, taking the full hit of the man’s fist into his stomach.

“Makoto!”

“Haru, run.”  Makoto’s voice rang out crystal clear—his request absolute.

“Wait, what?”

“Just trust me!”  Makoto turned to send his smaller companion a grave look.  “Trust me, Haru-chan.”

 _Haru-chan?_  The stoic man pouted at the nickname.  And what reason did he have to trust a man he had just met 10 hours ago?

“How cute, you gonna defend your boyfriend against us bad guys?”  One of the men sneered at Makoto—spitting in his face as he walked closer.

Makoto hardly blinked.  He stood his ground, rooted in place.

Haru noticed Makoto’s entire demeanor had changed the second Haru’s safety came into question—what once were a pair of warm and gentle green, now turned to a colder and fiercely determined shade.

“Mako…to…”

_**“GO!”** _

Haru quickly raced towards the direction of their vehicle.  Several men chased after him, but Makoto swiftly maneuvered between them at an inhumane pace—cutting them off, and expertly applying enough force and pressure against their vital points, to cause them to fall cold to the ground, while remaining unharmed.  Haru turned back in disbelief as he took in the sight.

_No special training my ass._

“Haru, please!  I’ll be okay—so go!”  Makoto’s face pleaded for him to listen.  The older man nodded in understanding, before rushing off towards their vehicle.

Makoto watched Haru’s figure safely retreat from the scene, before turning back to face the remaining group of thugs.

“Now then—where were we?”

Two of the men came at Makoto from opposite sides, while a third charged him head-on.  Makoto swiftly jumped back, before grabbing both of the men flanking from his left and right, and conking their heads together, knocking them out cold.  The third man, caught off guard by the sudden collision, faltered for a moment, at which point Makoto took advantage of his hesitation by sweeping his foot underneath the man’s legs, causing him to fall to the ground.  Makoto quickly climbed on top of the man, and pressed his fingers against the vital points in his neck, causing his opponent to fall unconscious and his body to go limp beneath him.

“My my…it appears we’ve got quite the fighter in our midst.”  The man named Uozumi cautiously approached Makoto’s position.

“I have a feeling our boss would _really_ like meeting someone like you—you ever consider working for a highly successful business man?”

Makoto scowled at the proposition.  “What you guys are doing is wrong.  By polluting the water, you’re not only hurting the animals that live there, but the people who swim in it.”

A lazy smile stretched along Uozumi’s lips.  “So you’re on a crusade for justice—is that it?  Well then, I’m sorry for what comes next, but my boss would hate for someone to get in the way of all his hard work.”

“Wait, who’s your boss? Why would he—“

Before Makoto could finish his question, the gang’s driver, Minami, had snuck up behind him and placed a Taser against his skin—causing Makoto to fall limp and unconscious.

Uozumi and Minami quickly moved to tie and restrain Makoto’s paralyzed form, before carefully retrieving the men Makoto had single-handedly taken down, and placing them in their truck.

“Minami, you drive the truck back to headquarters and make sure all of our men are okay.  I’ll take this guy back to the boss.”

“Let me go with you—if he recovers from the shock before you get there, things could turn south very quickly.”

Uozumi began to lift Makoto into a seated position.

“Quit worrying already and help me get this guy into the van.”

“R—right!”

The two managed to carry Makoto to their van, before lying him across the backseat, and strapping him down.

“I’ll call you once I get him to the boss.”

“What about the other guy he was with?”

“I watched him take off—he’s probably already trying to get in contact with the authorities, so we need to leave immediately.”

“Right!”

Haru watched as the two thugs parted ways, and started up their respective vehicles.

Uozumi swiftly maneuvered onto the road, and sped off towards the city border.  
Haru turned the key into the ignition, and waited several moments before proceeding to follow the vehicle’s route.

_Don’t you worry, Makoto.  I’ll follow you.  I’ll make sure no one lays a hand on you._

##                                                                                      

* * *

## 

“Yo, boss!  We got a present for ya!”

A fluffy head of lusciously pink curls turned towards the group of men entering the room.

“We found this guy and his friend trying to take pictures of us earlier.  We tried reasoning with him nicely, but he took out half our men with his bare hands—you think he’s an undercover cop?”

The pink-haired man’s lavender eyes widened in an excited vibrancy.

“Single-handedly, you say?  My, my, it sounds like he’s been quite troublesome!  Let me get a look at him.”

The pink-haired man sauntered over to the position of the man in question—Makoto had been carelessly thrown to the cold concrete, still tied and bounded by rope and leather, his mouth covered by duct tape.

“Hmm…well, I must say—he certainly looks good in leather!  I’m sure he’d make a fine addition to our crew.  But still…”  The man’s forehead creased as he inspected the man before him—his chin resting against his hand, as he ran a slender finger across his bottom lip.

“Get him ready for questioning.  I have a few business matters to attend to, but I’ll be back.  Thank you, Uozumi-kun—you’ve been quite useful.”

“Thank you, sir.  But I couldn’t have done it without Minami.”

The pink-haired deviant smirked at the man constrained before him, licking his lips before turning to head towards the exit.

“Oh, and let Seijuro know it won’t be long before we meet the masked man who ratted out his precious little brother.”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

Makoto wasn’t certain how much time had passed before the gang’s boss returned.  Makoto was tethered to a stiff, wooden chair.  All of the rope and leather restraining him still intact, and beginning to feel very uncomfortable.

“Tachibana Makoto.  That’s your name, correct?”

Makoto’s eyes widened at having been discovered so quickly.

“A Tokyo-bigshot who has created quite the reputation for being an aspiring journalist.  You’ve made a few of my friends very unhappy with your incessant snooping.”

The leader slowly stepped into the light, allowing Makoto a full view of his perfectly permed and well-dressed demeanor.

“It’s too dangerous to let you go, so why not get comfortable, yeah?”  The man carefully removed the duct tape from Makoto’s lips—saliva dripping from his mouth, considering his lips had been taped while they were still parted.

“Oh my…quite a mess they’ve made of you, I see.  And your wrists have already been rubbed raw—that can’t be comfortable either!”  The leader knelt before Makoto, and gently loosened the security of the rope around his wrists.

“Wh—why are you…”

“We’re not heartless criminals, Makoto-kun.  We’re simply smart businessmen.”

Makoto smirked.  “You mean smart businessmen who operate out of a junkyard disguised as criminals.”

The leader mirrored Makoto’s smirk.  “Yes, precisely.”  The man stood to leer over his hostage.

“So now, Makoto-kun, since you seem to be so smart, I take it you understand the severity of your current situation.  Am I correct in that assumption?”

Makoto stared intently into the leader’s eyes—his expression hiding any sense of fear and anxiety he currently held.

“Then you know your only option as of now is to stay my hostage, here in this room, or to join alongside us.  After all, we could use someone of your caliber to take out any competition without leaving any marks or visible harm.  You’re quite the catch, Makoto-kun.”

The leader extended his hand towards the hostage’s face, delicately thumbing his fingers through Makoto’s hair, before tracing the pads of his slender digits along the side of Makoto’s face.

“It would appear I neglected to realize just how beautiful of a prize you are.”  The businessman leaned his face just inches away from his prisoner’s.

“So tell me—what’ll it be?  Will you remain my own personal hostage, or will you join us?”  The man trailed a finger along Makoto’s bottom lip—pressing against it slightly. 

Makoto swiftly bit his finger, causing the man to recoil.

“Hmph, I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to give in so easily.  Very well, I’ll be back, my precious damsel!”  The businessman winked before blowing a kiss towards the bounded man, as he sauntered out of the room.

## 

* * *

## 

Saba-man was preparing to make his grand entrance.  Up until about a month ago, Nitori Aiichirou and Mikoshiba Momotarou were among the few people to have seen him in his true form.

But now it was time, once again, to jump into the fray to save both his beloved water, and infuriatingly-adorable adversary.

Saba-man’s cape gently flowed in the wind—his bodysuit clinging against his slender frame in both warmth and protection.  The first time he had tried on his costume, his best friend had laughed at him until tears were trickling down his face.

But further did his friend know, that costume would be worn by the first superhero to successfully put an end to The Phantom Thieves and their dastardly crimes against the ocean.

And now, he would make his grand appearance once more to save not only his younger companion, but also the revered water he had devoted his cause to protecting.

Saba-man intently watched the guards moving outside of the desolate location, and determined the timing of their steps and rotations as they surveyed and patrolled the premise.

Once certain he had the timing down, Saba-man dashed and rolled past the guards, and safely made his way to a ladder leading to the roof of the syndicate’s hideout.

Swiftly and gracefully, Saba-man scaled the building, and reached the top with ease.  Peering just slightly above the gutters of the roof, Saba-man surveyed the area, until he deemed it was safe to make his way towards the glass skylight.  Carefully and without disturbance, he approached the clear opening, and moved to his stomach as he inched closer to the window to peer below.

Saba-man’s eyes widened as he took in the current scene.  A tall, slender but toned man was meandering about the room, while two broad men were positioned on both sides of Makoto’s restrained body.

The handsome hostage was tied to a chair, and glaring up at the pink-haired businessman.

Saba-man watched as the two lackeys stepped aside to allow their leader direct contact with the prisoner.

Saba-man could feel his cheeks burn in rage as he watched the businessman cup the side of Makoto’s face, and press closer to whisper into his ear.  The leader slowly moved away from the captive’s face, and remained just inches from Makoto’s lips.  Deciding now was as good a time as any, Saba-man quickly pulled a utensil from his bag, and tossed it towards the opposite end of the skylight, causing the glass to shatter.

“What the—“ The leader lifted his head just in time to watch as shards of glass scattered just several feet from his position.

Taking advantage of the situation, Makoto leaned his head back, before thrusting forward to head-butt the pink-haired man.

“Ouch!  Makoto-kun, that wasn’t very nice…”  The businessman rubbed at his head, a pout forming along his pursed lips.

“And after how nice I’ve been to you, even removing your mouth restraint…”  He reached out to firmly grab a hold of Makoto’s jaw.

“Perhaps I should’ve had them completely restrain you, and leave you at my mercy.”

“Enough.”

“Umph!”  Before the businessman could turn to face the source of the intruding voice, the back of his head came into direct contact with a strange object carrying a great likeness to saba.

“Ha—HARU!?”  Makoto stared at the masked man in disbelief.  Even with an eye mask and strange get-up, there was no mistaking that the spectacled man before him was his partner.

“Quiet.  Don’t be so noisy.” 

Before Makoto could protest, Haru swiftly maneuvered around the broken glass to his side—throwing saba-like objects at the two lackeys now charging towards them.  As soon as the ‘saba’ made contact with their bodies, long metal restraints ejected from the saba, and wrapped around the men, restricting their movement.

“Wait, what is…”  Makoto stared at the fallen men in shock.

“I have friends who manufacture advanced gear in technology.”

A soft smile stretched along Haru’s lips as he reminisced back to the first time he had approached Amakata Miho for help.  The woman, who had once served as his school teacher, had been secretly conducting experiments on possible new military equipment to provide to the Japanese FBI.  Somehow, she had managed to swindle Sasabe Goro, Haru’s old swimming coach, to serve as her test dummy for her experiments.

The two had agreed to help Haru preserve the water’s sanctity and bring peace back to the quaint city of Iwatobi—continuing to create and provide him with high-tech gear for his justice endeavors.

“You what?” 

Makoto’s voice pulled Haru back from his reminiscing to the present moment at hand.

“Don’t worry about it.  The point is, you’re safe now, Makoto.”  Haru moved to stand above his adversary, before pulling out a saba-shaped knife, and cutting Makoto loose from his binds.

“Thank you, Haru-chan.”  Makoto looked up at his savior with a gratified smile of appreciation.

Haru pouted in response.  “Drop the ‘chan.’”

“Hee hee!  Right, sorry.”  Makoto lifted his arms and flexed his hands and forearms, attempting to regain feeling in his stiff muscles.

“Makoto, the cops should be on their way.  We should get going.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in realization.  “Ahh, that’s right!  You and I both made a call to a friend!  I wonder if they’re on the same workforce.”

“What do you mean?”

“The person who knows about my tracking device—he’s actually my roommate!  We met back in college, but he’s originally from Iwatobi.”

Haru furrowed his brows.   _Why am I feeling jealous over the fact that he knows someone from Iwatobi?  It’s not like I was planning on showing him around or introducing him to people…_

Haru blushed at how quickly he had let the brunette under his skin.

“Then let’s leave the grunt work to them, and try to find the control room.”

Makoto glanced up at Haru curiously.  “The control room?  But why there?”

Haru placed a hand above his heart, as if the vital organ was experiencing a great deal of pain. 

“Because, Makoto…Saba-man’s main objective is to protect the water.  And if there are further plans of dumping toxic wastes into the water, I need to stop them.”

Makoto’s eyes shone in understanding.

“So that’s why Saba-man exists?”

“That’s why Saba-man exists.”

“But what about The Phantom Thieves incident?  Why did you interfere there?”

“Simple.  I caught The Phantom Sea Otter littering in the water.”

“ _EEHHHH!?_  That’s why!?”

“Yes.  Littering in the ocean is unforgivable.”

“ _That’s_ unforgivable!?  But what about all the steal—“  Makoto cut himself off, sighing heavily, as he brought his hand to rest against his face.  “Never mind, got it…Let’s go find the control room!”

Saba-man and Makoto dashed through the seemingly never-ending corridor towards where Haru predicted their destination was located.

“Ahh, I can hear the police sirens!  Our friends must be close by!”

“Good.  They can take care of all the clean-up and paperwork.  We’ll make our escape as soon as we know the ocean is safe.”

“But Haru!  That doesn’t seem fair…”  Makoto frowned towards the ground—guilt consuming his thoughts at leaving his roommate to take care of the mess they’d created.

“It’s fine—that’s what they do.  Besides, without us, they may have never caught onto the underhanded business being conducted here.”

Makoto’s eight-shaped eyebrows lifted in consideration.  “Huh, well, I guess when you put it that way…”

“Don’t overthink it—come on, we’re almost there.”

Makoto and Haru ran down two more corridors, before approaching the double-sided entrance to the control room.

“Ready, Makoto?”

“Ready, Haru-chan.”

Haru placed a small saba explosive above the access pad, which detonated the lock, and allowed the duo entry.

Side-by-side, the two entered the expansive room.

“Well, well…if it isn’t Saba-man.”

The two quickly scanned the room for the source of the unfamiliar voice, their eyes settling onto the back of a plush chair positioned at the head of the control board.

“I was hoping I’d get the chance to meet you face-to-face.”

The man behind the chair swiveled around to meet the intruders.

He was a very tall man, with shoulders as broad as Makoto’s, and a very built and muscular frame.  His spikey red hair jutted out in every direction, adding a fierceness to his overall appearance.

“You caused a lot of trouble for my dear little brother last month.  And now our precious little sister cries every night because ‘Saba-man took away her precious onii-chan.’”

Haru cautiously positioned himself in front of Makoto—making sure to create a wall between his new opponent, and his trusted companion.

“I don’t know who your little brother is, but what he was doing was wrong.”  Haru spoke with a firmness as he planted his feet against the challenger’s intense stare.

“I would advise that you also walk away, before ending up in a similar situation as him.”

The red-head scowled at Saba-man’s words—his eyebrows furrowing in disapproval.  “I’d never turn my back on my brother!  I came here to get justice for what happened to him.  That’s why, Saba-man…”  The muscular opponent animatedly extended his arm to point directly at the suited man.

“I, Mikoshiba Seijuro, will expose the identity of Saba-man to all of Iwatobi!”  Seijuro flashed his pearly white teeth, as he pulled his camera from his pocket.

“Kisumi said he would help me find Saba-man, if I helped man the control room.  I don’t entirely get everything that this corporation does, but I figured if it’d lead me to meeting you, it was worth it.”

Haru scowled at the naivety of his opponent.   While it was clear he was only doing what he thought would help to avenge his brother and protect his family, his ignorant determination caused him to be quite a nuisance.

“Mikoshiba-san, I have a compromise.”

Seijuro lifted his brow in surprise.  “Oh?  And what’s that?”

“Let my companion and I touch the control board, and after I’m certain the water is no longer in any sense of danger, I will let you remove my mask.”  Seijuro blinked several times, as if in genuine consideration of Haru’s offer.

“Hmm…how do I know I can trust you?  After all, you’ve already hurt my family once, I won’t allow it to happen again!”

“I can’t convince you to trust me, but I believe that deep down you are a considerate person.  If you can find it in your heart to believe me, then perhaps all of us can walk away victors.”

Seijuro absentmindedly nodded in approval of Haru’s moving words.  Makoto stared at his partner wearing a look of utter astonishment—he hadn’t realized just how tactful his senior could be.

“Alright…I’ll trust you, Saba-man.  But I’m staying right by your side until you’ve finished to make sure you don’t go back on your promise!”

“Fair enough.  Do what you want.”

Haru turned to Makoto, lowering his voice to speak.  “You take the left control panel, and I’ll take the right.  Once it comes time to scan and shutdown the central panel, my friend Rin should be here.  That being said, don’t rush—take your time.  If all goes as planned, they’ll apprehend Mikoshiba before I have a chance to uphold my end of the deal.”

“B—but Haru!”  Makoto’s worried and disapproving expression caused a knot to form in Haru’s gut. 

“Don’t worry—I’ll make sure they let him go after they escort him outside.”

The creases in Makoto’s forehead slowly subsided as he took comfort in knowing they wouldn’t fully double-cross the oldest Mikoshiba sibling.

The dynamic duo got to work, all the while Seijuro closely watched Haru operate and examine his portion of the panel.

“Makoto—I called off two trucks that were set to dump wastes in neighboring areas.”

“Same here!  I just sent a message for one headed to the north to come back to headquarters.” 

Hesitantly, Makoto turned to face his comrade—uncertainty and apprehension painted across his face.

Before Haru had a moment to panic that the police force wouldn’t get to them in time, two men came marching into the room.

“Yo, Saba-man!”

Haru turned his head expectantly.

“Officer.”

“You sure did make a mess of that skylight—were you trying to impress someone with a grand entrance, or what?”

Haru furrowed his brows in irritation.

“You sure did take your time getting here—what, an unorthodox syndicate not enough excitement for you these days?

“Tch!  You’re the same as ever.”  The cop’s lips set into a wide grin—revealing his sharp teeth.

“Rin.”

A tall, brooding, dark-haired man stepped out from behind his red-headed companion.

“The rest of the squad will be here in several minutes.  We should hurry.”

“Yeah yeah, I hear ya.  We’ll be done soon enough.”

“Ahh, Sousuke!”  Makoto’s face beamed in recognition of his roommate and longtime friend.  “You came!”

The brooding officer smiled at the journalist—a kind expression flitting through his aquamarine eyes.  “Of course I did—sheesh, first day on the job and already you’ve gotten yourself into trouble?  You haven’t changed one bit.”

Makoto scratched at the back of his scalp in embarrassment.

Seijuro stared between Rin and Haru, and Sousuke and Makoto, desperately trying to make a connection.

“Uhh, what’s going on here, exactly?”

“Oi, bara-man!  The fun ends here—you’re coming with us outside!”  Rin smirked at the befuddled red-head.

Seijuro’s eyes widened in shock.  “Huh?  Wait!  I had a deal with Saba-man!  I won’t go with you until I know who he is!”

“Mikoshiba-san.” 

Seijuro turned to face his foe.

“What’s more important—exposing my name to the world, or being able to go home to your little sister?”

“Huh?”  Seijuro’s eyes sparkled at the mention of his darling younger sibling.

“Think about it—Momotarou is gone, and now you’re all your sister has left.  If you get taken away as well, who will she have to turn to?”

Seijuro gasped as the weight of his actions hit him.

Across the room, Rin wore a smug smirk.  Makoto gaped wide-eyed, open-mouthed, at Haru’s ability to manipulate the situation in his favor, while making it appear he was doing Seijuro a good deed.

“If you leave with these officers now, I will make sure that they release you.  But, if you still insist on taking my picture, there is a chance they won’t allow you to return to your beloved sister, knowing you carry proof of my identity.”

Seijuro nodded in silent acknowledgment.   “I…I understand.  I’ll go with them.”

“Good.  See to it that you continue to look after your younger sister until Momotarou returns.”

“I will, Saba-man.  Thank you.”  Sniffling slightly at the thought of his sister, patiently waiting at home for his return, Seijuro quickly turned to start towards the officers.

“Perfect.  We’ll have Kisumi escort you outside.”

“ _EEHH!?_  KISUMI!?  But that’s the name of the guy who offered to help me expose Saba-man!”

Sousuke smirked at Seijuro’s confusion.  “Kisumi is one ofJapan’s top undercover agents.  His good-looks and natural-born ability to befriend anyone has helped us expose some of the most corrupt agencies.”

Seijuro blinked in bewilderment.  “But…but, everyone trusted him here—everyone looked up to him!”

“Exactly—Kisumi snuck into the ranks of Sly Fox only two months ago, but managed to work his way to an executive position in no time.”  Rin smirked with pride at the success of his fellow comrade.

“So why did he offer me a job?”

Sousuke shrugged his shoulders.  “Who knows—probably thought you were a nice guy—that or he was trying to keep up his act.” 

“Ahh, Saba-man!  And Makoto-chan!  I hope you two don’t hate me!”  Sure enough, the cotton-candy haired man came bounding into the room, rushing over to Seijuro’s side.

“Sei-kun, I’m sorry for misleading you—but I had to keep up my reputation here, or else they would’ve gotten suspicious.”

Seijuro stared at the undercover cop in shock.

“And Saba-man!”  Kisumi’s eyes darted towards the masked figure—his lavender eyes pleading.  “I’m sorry for not being able to stop those trucks from dumping the company’s wastes into the ocean—I had hoped you’d discover us sooner, but since I was only one of several executives, I didn’t have the power to stop them!”

Haru glared at the pseudo businessman. 

“Anyways, you hit me pretty hard back there, so I suppose we’re even now—ha ha!”  Kisumi stuck out his tongue and playfully winked at the suited hero.

“Oh!  And Mako-chan!”  Kisumi’s eyes widened as he leapt towards the brunette.  “I’m so sorry for how awful I treated you!  I’m sorry for taking my role a bit too far back there, but I had to keep up my façade just in case things didn’t go as planned—I hope you’ll forgive me~”  Kisumi nuzzled his cheek against Makoto’s—who was currently too in shock and disbelief to respond.

“Kisumi, stop.  You’ve tortured him enough today.”  Haru aggravatingly walked towards the two, prying the pink-haired man from Makoto’s stiff body.

Rin and Sousuke laughed at the scene playing out before them.  “Come on, Kisumi.  Take Seijuro out of here and make sure not to skip out on your report this time—good work.”  Sousuke nodded approvingly at his companion.

“Right!  Thanks, Sousuke.”  Kisumi turned towards Seijuro—a kind expression in his eyes.  “Let’s go, Seijuro.  If you want, I’ll see if I can get you a job as a security officer, so you can help support you and your sister.  Sound good?”

Seijuro’s eyes lit up in hope.  “Yes!  That would be very much appreciated—thank you!”  The muscular red-head bowed in gratitude.

“Perfect!  Then let’s get out of here before our comrades start asking you questions, yeah?”

“Yes, sir!”

Kisumi turned to send Saba-man and Makoto one final wink before leading Seijuro out of the room.

“That Kisumi…I’ll never understand how he does it.”  Rin shook his head at his comrades retreating figure, before turning back towards his best friend.

“So who’s the new guy?”  Rin tilted his head towards Makoto’s direction.

Haru’s gaze flitted towards the tall man—his eyes softening into an appreciative smile.  “He’s my sidekick.”

“Ehh?”  Makoto jumped, caught off-guard by Haru’s response.

Rin gawked at the two.  “You’re _**what?**_ ” 

“My partner.”  Haru turned to face Makoto—unable to resist the tug against his lips as they turned upwards in a genuine smile.

Makoto’s eyes sparkled with great emotion.  “Haru-chan…”  

“So what’s his name, then?”  The three men turned to find Sousuke approaching the trio—a very distinct smirk playing along his lips.

“If he’s your sidekick, he’s gotta have a name.”

“Sousuke, knock it off!”  Makoto’s face reddened as his lips set into an adorably flustered pout.

“Mackerel-boy.”

 _ **“EEEHHH!?”**_  Makoto’s face flushed several shades brighter.

Rin erupted into a fit of laughter.  Likewise, Sousuke gripped at his sides, snickering.

“Saba-man and Mackerel-boy: that’s great!  No one will dare come against you two with names like that!”  Rin continued to howl with laughter—tears brimming at the corner of his eyes.

Haru turned his head aside, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Makoto must’ve noticed Haru’s unease, as he reached out to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I’m just honored to be considered Haru’s partner.”

“Makoto…”  The two gazed into one another’s eyes—each allowing the other to peer through the window to their soul, as their mutual warmth, understanding, and acceptance washed over them.

“Oi, we’re still standing here, ya know.”  Makoto flinched, quickly retreating his hand as if he had burned it against Haru’s shoulder.  Haru turned to glare at Rin for interrupting their intimate moment.

“Hey, Saba-man.”  Haru shifted his gaze towards the dark and brooding cop.

“If Mackerel-boy here ever comes home with more than a scratch, I’ll personally hunt you down.”

“S—Sousuke!”  Makoto jumped between the two, holding up his hands in protest of the two getting into a fight.

“Understood.”  Haru silently nodded at Sousuke’s request, receiving an approving nod in response.

Rin released a heavy sigh that was loud enough to draw the attention of the other three men.  “Well, now that that’s settled, Sousuke and I should head back to the force.  And Haru, you and Mackerel-boy should get out of here before the authorities try to question you.”

“Right.  Thanks, Rin.”

“Don’t mention it—Sousuke and I will wrap up here, so go enjoy the rest of your night.”  Rin topped off his final words with a suggestive wink, causing a faint blush to form against Haru’s pouting face.

“Thank you, Rin-san!  We don’t want to be of any more trouble to you, so we’ll do our best to escape unseen!”

Sousuke smiled at his friend—amused by his density and lack of awareness to the growing chemistry between him and his new partner in justice.

Haru sighed in relief at Makoto not picking up on Rin’s insinuation, sending one final glare in his best friend’s direction before pulling Makoto towards the door.

“Oi, Nanase.”

Haru glanced back towards the intimidating cop.

“Have Mackerel-boy home by midnight.  I don’t want him too worn out after his first day on the job.”

“Sousuke!”  Once again, Makoto scowled at his roommate, incredibly flustered.

“Fine.  I’ll return him to you by then.” 

Before Makoto could protest being a competent adult who could make his own decisions, Haru tugged him through the door, and down the winding corridors until they reached a side-exit that would bypass any security or law enforcement.

“Makoto—can you run?”

“Huh?”

“Are you a good runner?”

“Good enough, I suppose—why?”

“Once we’re outside this door, we’re going to run a mile northeast until we reach the bay.”

“Ehh!?”

“Just trust me.”

Haru placed his hand against the small of Makoto’s back and pushed him out the exit, before placing a mackerel sticker on the door—leaving his mark of victory against yet another perpetrator to the sacredness of his precious water.

The two proceeded to run, side-by-side, through the thick forest surrounding the warehouse, and towards the bay—their breath and strides perfectly in sync.

Once the two finally reached their destination, Haru’s eyes sparkled at the luminescent view of the stars being reflected against the water’s transparent surface.

Makoto bent over to brace his hands against his knees—desperately trying to catch his breath.

“Geeze, Haru—hah, you’re…really fast—haah!”

“Makoto.”  The silent man held his gaze on the serene view before him.  “Come sit.”

The taller man stared at his companion questioningly, before slowly trudging through the sand to sit alongside his senior.

“Today sure was unexpected, wasn’t it?”  A boyish exuberance emitted from Makoto’s expression—his lips turning upwards as he chuckled into his hand.

“Makoto.”

“Hmm?  What is it, Haru-chan?”

The older man frowned at the girly nickname.

“Drop the ‘chan,’—I wanted to thank you for today.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Huh, me?  But what did I do?  Haru’s the one who saved me and the water!”

“You’re the one who saved me first…”  Haru reminded him—turning his head aside in a slight pout, his cheeks dusting pink.

“And it wasn’t me who saved the water—it was Saba-man and Mackerel-boy.”  A small, genuine smile settled across Haru’s lips.

“Thank you for protecting me earlier.  And for helping me preserve the water…I appreciate you being here for me.”

Makoto’s eyes widened once more, feeling overwhelmed by his partner’s authentic gratitude.  “Haru…”

Deciding he was through using words and conceding such embarrassing confessions, Haru settled on allowing his hand to travel closer towards Makoto’s, before cautiously intertwining their fingers together.

The younger man released a slight gasp of surprise at the sudden contact, but didn’t shift or move his hand away—instead, he allowed a sincere, kind smile to settle across his face, as he watched Haru enjoy the view of the water.

“Haru-chan?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m really glad I decided to move here.”

“Me too.”

##                                                                                      ****

* * *

## 

“So you two are saying that you both fell asleep while on the job, and missed the entire debacle between Saba-man and The Sly Fox?”

“Saba-man and Mackerel-boy.”  Haru corrected.

Makoto turned to flash Haru an incredulous look—as if in warning to not give away their secret.

“Or so I heard, anyways…”  Haru turned away, embarrassed by his desire to make sure everyone knew he now had a sidekick.

Rei placed a hand against his forehead in disbelief and exasperation.

 “Honestly, you two…you’re supposed to be the best and brightest, and yet you two ended up missing the entirety of what could’ve been the Iwatobi Press’ biggest story of the year!?  I must say, I’m gravely disappointed.”

Makoto hurriedly bowed in submission.  “We’re so sorry, sir!  We promise it won’t happen again!”

Haru slightly scowled at the man beside him.   _What’s with you trying to speak for the both of us?  I could care less about getting in trouble…as long as the water’s safe, I don’t care._

Haru felt himself blush at the surfacing realization that flitted through his thoughts.

_As long as the water and Makoto are safe…then I’m happy._

“I certainly hope it won’t.  Still, your unprofessional and careless behavior yesterday caused us quite the predicament.  That being said, I’m placing the two of you on a probationary period.”

“Ehh!?”

“Rei…”

Both Makoto and Haru stared at their boss in disbelief.

“As punishment, you two are in charge of picking up and restocking the office every day for the next month—and to learn to work as a team, by coming up with the best headlines The Iwatobi Press has yet to see.”

“Ahh, but Ryugazaki-san, it’s my fault any of this happened—please, don’t punish Haru for my mistake!”

“Nonsense, Makoto.  I’m your senior, so I shouldn’t have displayed such carelessness in front of you.”

Rei narrowed his eyes at the two—confused as to what could’ve happened during their investigation to cause the pair to act so friendly—especially Haru, who for the past five years, had refused to work with a partner.

“Good.  Since you both agree you were negligible of your professional duties, then there shouldn’t be any complaints against your disciplinary sentence.  Correct?”

Makoto and Haru involuntarily shivered in fear under Rei’s intense aura.

“Beautiful!  Now that that’s decided, I’ll leave you two to come up with a story for tomorrow’s paper.”  Swiftly, Rei turned on his heels and sauntered back to his office.

“ _ **EEHHH!?**_  TOMORROW!?”

“Rei, that’s not possible.  We didn’t gather enough information yesterday.”

Rei turned his head around—eyes closed, lips set into an intimidating smile.

 “Well, then let this be another learning lesson for why the two of you shouldn’t slack off.”  Before the duo could argue, Rei closed his door, and shut the blinds to his window—sending one final warning glare at his two star journalists.

* * *

Makoto and Haru’s probation period finally came to an end.  Thirty-one days later, the pair had successfully completed and abided by Rei’s demands.

“Haaah, we did it, Haru-chan!  After today, work will go back to normal.”  Makoto chuckled at the thought—rubbing at the back of his neck in what Haru now deemed to be the cutest, most endearing embarrassed habit he had ever witnessed a human being commit.

“Although, I suppose for me, this is ‘normal,’ considering it’s what I’ve been doing since I first started a month ago, hee hee!”

Haru stared at Makoto like a carnivore eyeing up its prey.  Ever since he’d met the younger man, Haru had inadvertently found himself craving and desiring to get closer to his newfound friend and companion.

Makoto had proven to be very helpful and effective in assisting Haru in his plight for justice and preserving the ocean.  Saba-man and Mackerel-boy continued to be a hot topic of conversation amongst the Iwatobians; however, strangely enough, no one was able to give any information on the two—despite a high cash reward being offered by The Iwatobi Press for any sort of lead or information.

Rei found it strange that his two key journalists had yet to uncover any information on the dynamic duo, but figured that for now, he’d leave it alone.

And as such, the two had continued to work as a team, in and out of the office.  And with each passing day, Haru found himself feeling continuously drawn and allured by the enthusiastic, youthful and handsome man.

With today being their last day in charge of cleaning and restocking the office, and having the workspace to themselves, Haru hoped he and Makoto could make good use of their predicament.

“Makoto.”

“Hmm?  What is it, Haru-chan?  Did we miss anything?”

“No, it’s not that, but…meet me in the conference room when you’re done.”

“Hmm?  Okay, Haru!  I’ll try to be quick!”

Haru blushed at how unassuming Makoto was of Haru’s true intentions of their soon-to-be rendezvous.  And what made matters worse, was Makoto’s naivety and pure-mindedness only attracted Haru further.

Makoto was truly proving to be a blessing and a curse—willingly devoting his energy and skills to Haru’s cause, while simultaneously consuming his thoughts and breaking down any walls of resilience Haru had built around his heart in fear of rejection or heartache.

Makoto was proving to slowly but surely, take hold over Haru’s heart and soul—and being as inexperienced to love as Haru was, he felt at a loss of how to express his growing feelings for the kind-hearted man.

However, Haru was a firm believer that actions spoke louder than words, so he hoped that he’d be able to show Makoto just how great of an impact he had made on his life.

It only took ten minutes for Makoto to join Haru in the conference room.  “Okay, Haru-chan!  I finished restocking—what is it you wanted to show me?”

Haru slowly turned to face Makoto—two short glasses filled with high-quality sake in each hand.

“Here.  For all your hard work this past month.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Ahh, but is it really okay to be drinking in the office?  I wouldn’t want for either of us to end up on another probation period!”

Haru’s blank expression remained firm.  “Rei won’t find out, since it’s only us here.”  The taciturn man turned his head aside, a slight pink dusting his porcelain cheeks.  “Besides…I can think of worse punishments then having to clean with you again.”

Makoto’s eyes softened into a gentle smile.  “I suppose that’s true…Okay, Haru-chan!  I’ll trust you.”  Makoto reached forward to accept the offered beverage—his fingers gently sliding against Haru’s as he took the glass from his hand.

Haru motioned for the two to sit, before holding up his drink in a gesture of accomplishment.  Chuckling slightly, Makoto lifted his glass to clink against Haru’s, before the two swallowed the contents whole.

Makoto’s face instantly contorted into a pained and distasteful expression—his eyes clenching shut as his lips puckered in disgust.  “Oh gosh, I am not cutout for alcohol—how can people stand this kind of stuff?”

Makoto furiously wiped at his lips to get rid of any residue from the strong drink.  Meanwhile, Haru had reached over for the bottle of sake, and began pouring himself a second glass.

“Wha—Haru!  Are you really going to drink that!?”

“Of course.  It’s high quality, and we’ve had a stressful month.”  Trying to act coy, Haru slipped his slender fingers between the knot of his tie, and slowly loosened it until it hung limp around his neck.

Makoto gulped at the site, quickly turning his gaze to the window that overlooked the buildings parking lot.

Noticing Makoto’s slight bashfulness, Haru pushed it one step further, by undoing the first two buttons of his dress shirt.  “Relax, Makoto.  We’re not going to get caught.  Rei’s the only one with a key to the office, and he’s apparently got a date tonight on the other end of town.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in excitement.  “Really!?  Ryugazaki-san’s dating someone!?  I’m glad to hear that!  He works really hard, so he deserves to have some fun, hee hee!”  Makoto’s tilted his head to the side, his eyes closing in a warm gentleness that settled over the room.

“…You and I work hard too, you know.”

Makoto’s eyes widened at the comment.  “Ahh, of course you do, Haru!  I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t—I think Haru-chan is especially deserving of finding a special person just for him.”

Haru’s eyebrows lifted in curiosity.  “Why is that?”

Makoto lowered his gaze towards his feet—beginning to twiddle his thumbs as the tips of his ears turned a lovely shade of red.

“Well, it’s just…you do so much for everyone here at the office, always leading by example, and then when you’re not at work, you’re doing your best to preserve and protect the ocean and its wildlife.”

Makoto lifted his gaze to meet Haru’s—his expression firm.  “I think that’s really amazing.”

Haru’s breath caught in his throat—momentarily forgetting how to breathe as he lost himself in the tugging pull of Makoto’s forest-green hues.

“I think you’re amazing too, Makoto.”

Before he could process what he was doing, Haru had leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Makoto’s.  He could feel the younger man’s erratic, hot breath lapping against his lips.

“ _ **Really**_ amazing.”

Haru closed the remaining distance and firmly pressed his lips against Makoto’s.

“Makoto…”  Haru whispered his name like a prayer—like a song that he wanted to sing every day for the rest of his life—as if the word itself spoke life into the room, and into Haru’s once disconnected and closed-off heart.

“Haru…chan.”  Makoto hesitantly worked his lips against Haru’s—trying to match the rhythm his senior had set.

Makoto tasted like chocolate.  And while he would’ve preferred a saltier taste, he decided that the sweet, rich taste of chocolate was oddly fitting for the younger man.

Haru ran a hand along Makoto’s side, before gliding up his back, and immersing his fingers into his fluffy, brunette locks.

Makoto moaned into Haru’s mouth, giving the older boy an affirmative sign that his companion was as into this as he was.

Haru brought his other hand to grip at Makoto’s waist to steady himself, and better control their kiss.

Carefully and with an inexperienced uncertainty, Makoto slowly trailed his fingers along Haru’s spine, enjoying the way the smaller man shivered beneath his touch.  Makoto ran his hands through Haru’s silk-like hair, before gripping at a handful of the feathery obsidian, and tugging against it—forcing Haru to tilt his head back slightly, and allowing Makoto better access to the older man’s warm and soft mouth.

Haru’s initial gasp at having his hair playfully tugged quickly turned into something more illicit—a low, wanton groan of need and desire stirring from the pits of his stomach and roaring past his throat into Makoto’s mouth.

The younger man pulled back just enough to whisper along his companion’s lips.

 “Haruka—is this really okay?”

The formal use of his first name told Haru that Makoto was genuinely concerned.   Haru scowled at the fact that even though he had blatantly made the first move, Makoto was still doubting whether Haru wanted this as much as he did.

“Stupid Makoto—of course it is.  I’m the one who lured you in here, after all…”  Cheeks turning pink for a reason other than lust and physical excitement, Haru sheepishly turned his head aside.

“Haru, you mean you…hee hee!”

Haru whipped his head around to glare daggers at his partner.  “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry!  Sorry, it’s just, all this time I was so worried I didn’t stand a chance with you, so I tried to hide my true feelings—but Haru-chan, you were doing the same thing, weren’t you?”

The older man’s expression immediately softened, his eyes  fondly gazing into Makoto’s—trying to telepathically express just how much warmth, adoration, and appreciation he held for his taller companion.

“I’m sorry you’ve been holding back, Haru-chan, but now that I know you…”  Makoto’s cheeks burned brightly—his gaze settling on everything in the room except for Haru’s.

“If you like me too, then, I suppose we could…umm…”  Before Makoto could talk himself into a never-ending circle, Haru took charge by resuming his hold against the back of Makoto’s head, and forcing the two together so their lips could collide in a desperate kiss.

“I want you, Makoto.”  Haru could’ve sworn he felt Makoto’s face radiating heat.

“I want you _**so bad.**_ ”  Haru deepened the kiss, carefully shuffling out of his seat onto Makoto’s, before settling onto the taller boys lap.

Makoto’s hands quickly moved to settle along Haru’s hips to help steady the smaller man.

“H—Haru!”

“Less talking.  More kissing.”

Haru hurriedly moved his fingers to loosen Makoto’s tie and unbutton his dress shirt.

“W—wait, Haru-chan!”

Haru pressed his lips against Makoto’s fervently—hoping to calm and silence the younger man from becoming too overwhelmed and apprehensive to continue doing what they both clearly and desperately wanted.

“Makoto, it’s okay.  It’s just me—I’ll take care of you.”

Haru’s reassuring words settled over Makoto’s anxieties, and eased his shoulders into relaxing—the tenseness of his body evaporating underneath Haru’s affectionate kisses and touches.

“Mmm… _Haru-chan_.”  Makoto sighed into his companion’s mouth as Haru worked his hands and fingers along Makoto’s broad chest and shoulders.

The older man could feel himself growing excited as he tantalizingly grinded his hips against Makoto’s—elated to discover that the younger man was equally as aroused.

And packing.

Curious as to just how large Makoto truly was, Haru trailed a hand down Makoto’s stomach, before dipping below his belt, and giving Makoto’s arousal a tight squeeze.

“ **MMPH!**  Haru!!”  Makoto separated from their kiss—his pupils blown wide, cheeks flushed, and lips slightly swollen.

Haru couldn’t stand how alluring Makoto looked when disheveled—his ruffled hair and clothing only adding to the overall effect.

Haru couldn’t stop himself from wondering what Makoto would look like completely strung out on his cock—fucked to exhaustion and still begging Haru for me.

He felt himself twitch at the thought—which only elicited a deeper blush and chagrined groan to slip past Makoto’s lips.

Haru flung his arms around Makoto’s neck—desperately trying to convey all of his unadulterated feelings for the younger boy by licking, nipping, and kissing at his lips.  Haru found himself unable to hold back, as he fervently grinded and drove his hips against Makoto’s—resulting in both boys growing painfully hard from the intimate contact.

“Makoto…”  Haru’s wispy voice was laced with adoration, lust, and desire.

“Can we…do you…”  Despite being responsible for insinuating their current circumstance, Haru fumbled with how to properly ask Makoto how far he was willing to go.  While in no way did Haru ever want to pressure or force himself onto his younger companion, he was finding it growing undeniably difficult to refrain from throwing the taller man against the conference table, and fucking him into euphoria.

“Umm, yes, but—I, uhh…” 

Haru leaned back into Makoto’s lap—staring directly into his partner’s eyes as he searched for whatever was causing him such unease and trepidation.

Haru’s eyes widened when he felt he discovered the root of Makoto’s concern.  
“Makoto, are you a virgin?”

“I—umm, yes?”

Haru need to be inside of this man.   **Immediately.**

A low, animalistic groan roared from Haru’s chest as he plunged his tongue back inside of the warm depths of Makoto’s mouth.

“Mmph!  Hawoo!  Wha—mmm!”  Makoto attempted to question Haru’s sudden impulsive act, but the taller man was too far gone—his desire to feel and fill the younger man with all of his adoration and desire became too overwhelming for him to think rationally.

But he knew he’d have to fight it.  If he truly cared about Makoto, he couldn’t force his feelings onto him—he needed to treat Makoto with the care, tenderness and respect he so clearly deserved.

Haru forced himself apart from Makoto’s addicting taste.

“Makoto, I want you.”  The taller boy’s blush spread past face and down his neck at the bluntness of Haru’s words.

“But if you aren’t ready, I understand.  You’re in control here—whatever Makoto wants, is what I’ll do.”  Haru’s cheeks flushed at the rawness of his declaration.

Haru didn’t like to give up his power—but for Makoto, he would learn to let someone else take control.  Haru was willing to place all of his trust in the loveable brunette.

“I…I want Haru-chan.  That’s what I want.”  Makoto turned his gaze aside, flustered from openly declaring his raw, human desire.

“But I’m afraid I won’t live up to your expectations—what if I’m no good?  What if I can’t please you the way you can take care of me?  I don’t want to disappoint you…”

Seeing the pained and apprehensive look in Makoto’s eyes caused Haru’s heart to ache, and his blood to run cold.

He **_never_** wanted to be the reason Makoto felt scared or anxious.

He wanted nothing more than to spoil Makoto rotten, and to take care of and cherish him with every ounce of his being.

He wanted to make Makoto laugh—to see him smile—to listen to him whenever he was having a rough day.  To hold him in his arms whenever he felt panicked or defeated. 

He wanted to show Makoto just how much he loved him.

“Makoto.  Just by being yourself, you’ve given me more than I could ask.”  
The taller boy finally met Haru’s gaze—his eyes pleading for reassurance.  “You coming to Iwatobi and becoming my partner is the greatest gift I could ask for.”

A gentle smile settled along Makoto’s lips.

“You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and I have no doubts you’ll feel amazing.”  Despite Haru’s cheeks burning, he held onto Makoto’s gaze—determined to get his true sentiments through to the taller man.

“Okay, Haru-chan.  I trust you, so…”  Makoto leaned forward into Haru’s body—as if seeking out his touch and heat.

“So, if you want to, umm…”  Makoto reached towards Haru’s belt-buckle, and toyed with the clasp.

“You can take me, Haruka.”

The older man descended onto the inexperienced boy like a hawk—desperately kissing and thumbing open the remaining buttons of their shirts, and frantically throwing them across the room.

Haru swiftly removed his belt and undershirt in one swift movement—leaving Makoto speechless.

“Sorry…old habit from swimming competitively.”  Haru ascended once more upon Makoto’s lips, as he skillfully unzipped and slid off his own pants, before starting on Makoto’s.

He climbed off of the chair, and slowly, teasingly, tugged Makoto’s pants down his legs—all the while maintaining direct eye contact with Makoto as he slid towards the ground.

The suggestive act of Haru going down on Makoto as he removed his clothing caused the inexperienced man’s skin to tingle and stir with desire.

Once Haru rid Makoto off his dress pants, he slowly began to rise back towards Makoto’s lips—taking his time to kiss along his calves and thighs as he inched his way closer.  Once he reached his waist, Haru tugged at Makoto’s undershirt, prompting the taller man to rid himself of the fabric.  Haru continued his journey along the contours of Makoto’s body, as he kissed, licked, and sucked along his abs and pecs, before taking a moment to truly appreciate the fine, pert nipples anxiously awaiting the attention of Haru’s tongue.

Makoto threw his head back and released a shameless moan as Haru began amiably sucking and swirling his tongue around the hardened mound.  With his free hand, he pinched and toyed with the opposite nipple, not wanting either nub to feel neglected by Haru’s expert touch.

“H—Haru… _haaah,_ **_Haruka._** ”  Makoto’s eyes were clouded in ecstasy as his companion continued to pleasure and worship his virginal body.

Once satisfied with his results, Haru released Makoto’s nub with an intentional popping sound, and lifted his gaze to meet Makoto’s, before tugging at the hem of his boxers.

“Makoto, is it okay if…”  Haru pleaded for Makoto’s approval, but waited patiently out of concern for the younger man’s own well-being.  Despite being thrown completely over the edge by Makoto’s insatiable allure, he wanted to respect all of the younger man’s wishes.

“Y—yes…you can.”

A devious grin stretched along Haru’s lips, before he quickly scrambled to his knees, and quickly released Makoto’s strained cock from its restraint.

“Wow.”  Haru stared in a combination of awe and shock. 

Sure, Haru had more experience than Makoto, but not by much.  And from what little he’d seen up until this point stood absolutely no chance of comparing to the amazing girth and length of what proudly stood before him.

“Oh God—“  Makoto quickly covered his bright-red face with his large hands.  “This is so embarrassing…”

Haru blinked at Makoto, still in shock.  “Makoto, trust me: there is absolutely no reason for you to feel self-conscious.”

Makoto wailed in humiliation.  “But Haruuu!”

“No buts, Makoto.  You’re perfect.”

Makoto slightly parted his fingers so he could peak at his smaller companion.

 “Really?”

“Yes, really.  And so is your partner in crime.”  Haru smirked as he reached out and placed a careful flick against Makoto’s base.

“HARUUUUUUU!!!”

The older man couldn’t help but laugh as Makoto squirmed against the chair.  “Relax, I mean it.  You’re perfect, Makoto.  I think you’re beautiful.”

Once Makoto calmed down, he slowly removed his hands from his face, and peered over towards his trusted senior.

“You do?”

Haru smiled reassuringly.  “I do.  I’m very happy, Makoto.”

The brunette’s green eyes regained their sense of vivacity and life as he brightened from the compliment.

“I think you’re really beautiful too, Haru-chan.”

Finally, it was time for the older man to feel flustered—his eyes widening in surprise, and his cheeks glowing a bright crimson.

“To be honest, I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met…”  Makoto turned his gaze aside, reminiscing back to the first time he laid eyes on his beloved senior.

“I know I keep saying this, but I really am lucky to have met you, Haruka.”

Haru tenderly reached out to tightly grasp Makoto’s hand—squeezing in reassurance that he was not alone in his sentiments.

“Makoto.  Will you let me take care of you now?”

“Yes.  I trust you, Haru-chan.”

“Good.”

Haru gently parted Makoto’s legs, and shuffled in between his massive thighs to better position himself above Makoto’s impressive cock.

“If at any point you feel uncomfortable, just tell me—okay?”

Makoto smiled appreciatively.  “Okay.  Thank you, Haru.”

“Mmm.”

Deciding to waste no more time in subjecting Makoto to what would likely be the best sensation of his life, Haru welcomed Makoto’s heat into his slick mouth—unabashedly savoring the taste of the impressive girth.

 **“ _Ahhh_ , haaah! **  _Haru-chan.._.”

Makoto’s breathing turned uneven, as Haru proceeded to glide more of Makoto’s aching member into his mouth, before slowly pulling off, with a loud ‘pop.’

Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth as Haru released the head from his heat.  Makoto blushed at the illicit sight, and moaned in embarrassment as he watched the way his cock continued to swell and twitch at having just lost the sensation of Haru’s mouth engulfing it.

Haru smirked before shifting to the base of Makoto’s cock, and teasingly running his tongue along the length of Makoto’s most prominent vein—occasionally stopping to flick his tongue, before proceeding to lubricate the impressive mass.

“Haruuu, I— _ **ahhh!** _  It’s too much— _it feels too good._ ”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Makoto’s eyes widened in fear.   **“No!”**

Haru was surprised by how quickly Makoto answered.  “No?”

“N—no, please don’t stop.”  Makoto blushed at how desperate his voice sounded.

“Please don’t ever stop…”

Haru grinned before returning to Makoto’s shaft, and licking, slurping, and sucking along the base, before moving to suckle against the soft head, and flick his tongue along the slit to taste the pre-cum that had started to leak.

“ **Ngh!!** _Ahhh,_ Mmm… _yes,_ Haru.”

Haru continued twirling his tongue around the head of Makoto’s cock, while pumping the now-slick base with his hand.

Occasionally, Haru would moan against the head, earning a delightful mewl of pleasure from Makoto, as well as a twitch of his cock against Haru’s lips.

“Do you like that, Makoto?”

“Mmhmm— _yes._  Yes, Haru. _I like it._ ”

“Do you want me to make you feel even better?”

“Yes, I want Haru-chan to make me feel even better.”

Haru peered up at Makoto’s strung out expression—his lashes fluttering over closed lids—his lips parted and gasping for air—his cheeks flushed in arousal.

“Then get on your hands and knees.   _ **Now.**_ ”

Makoto’s lids flew open, shock covering his face.  “Wh—what?”

“You heard me—hands and knees, big boy.”

Makoto furiously blushed at the pet name.  He hesitantly shuffled from his position in the seat, staring at Haru in confusion.

“Just trust me—I want to make you feel good.”

Makoto’s unease lifted as he settled onto the floor—held up by his hands and knees.

“Like this, Haru?”

The stoic man’s eyes shone with lust and excitement.  “Yes.  Just like that.”

Swiftly, Haru maneuvered himself to kneel behind Makoto—giving himself a clear view of the taller man’s beautiful round ass.

“H—Haru?”  Makoto called back to his senior apprehensively.

“Don’t worry, Makoto.  Just relax, and enjoy yourself.”

Haru placed one of his digits in his mouth, fully taking care to lubricate it, before taking it out and placing it against Makoto’s hole.

“ _AAAHH,_ **HARU!** ”

“Sshh, it’s okay—you’re fine, Makoto.”

Makoto whimpered in unease, not sure how to process having someone touch one of his most intimate areas.

“I’m gonna put it in now, okay?  I need to make sure to properly stretch you out so it won’t hurt later.”  Haru tried to coo Makoto to relax beneath him—softening his voice as he spoke in hopes of calming the younger man.

“Okay, Haru, I trust you.”

The older journalist carefully pressed his finger inside of Makoto’s entrance—earning a grunt from the inexperienced man.

“ _Ngh,_ Haruuu, it feels weird…”

“Just relax.  It’ll feel strange at first, but it’ll get better, I promise.”

Haru could feel Makoto ease into the foreign touch—his back slightly arching, causing his rump to elevate and allow Haru easier access to his sensitive hole.

  
Turned on by the way Makoto’s strong back muscles rippled beneath him, and the illicit sight of Makoto’s plump ass being offered to him, Haru increased the pace of his probing.

Makoto continued to whimper as he tried to accustom himself to the feel of Haru’s finger.

Noticing Makoto’s discomfort, Haru took a moment to explore his partner’s insides in hopes of stimulating his prostate—if he could find Makoto’s sweet spot, the intense sensation would help distract him from the discomfort of being stretched and prodded.

On his third attempt, Haru managed to successfully hook his finger against Makoto’s prostate—causing the younger man to cry out and arch his back in a delicious display of pleasure.

“ _Ahh,_ Haru!  What _ **was**_ that!?”

The older man smirked at having successfully distracted his companion.  “I stimulated your prostate—you want me to hit it again?”

Not waiting for an answer, Haru expertly hooked his finger against the same spot—causing another cry to slip past Makoto’s flushed lips.

“You like that, Makoto?”  Haru quickened his probing, before slipping a second finger inside while Makoto attempted to catch his breath.

“ **Ngh,** Haru!  Is that…did you put _another_ one in!?”

Before Makoto could panic, Haru used his freehand to begin stroking Makoto’s swollen length.

Effectively distracting the brunette, Haru began scissoring Makoto’s inner walls—desperately trying to widen and gain entrance to his innermost, sensitive area.

“ _Aaahh,_ Haru!  That’s… _ **mmph!**_ ”  Makoto rested his forehead against his hands—his face completely crimson from Haru’s onslaught.

“You’re doing so well, Makoto.  Good boy.”  The tips of the younger man’s ears reddened, not going unnoticed by Haru’s observant gaze.

“What’s this—do you like it when I call you a _good boy_ , Makoto?”

The man in question whined into the floor.

“Do you want to make your senpai happy?  Do you want to show senpai what a **_good boy_** you can be?”

Haru smirked as he watched Makoto’s blush spread well past his face and down his neck.

_So that’s a kink I’ll definitely be using…_

Haru proceeded to scissor Makoto’s tight heat, until he felt he was able to slip in a third finger.

Makoto grunted at the intrusion, but Haru swept down to place reassuring kisses along Makoto’s back and spine.

“You’re doing so well, Makoto.  I’m almost done preparing you, I promise.  I’ll make you feel good soon enough.”

“H—Haru-chan…”  Makoto finally lifted his face from his hands, turning slowly to catch a glimpse of his trusted senior.

Not missing Makoto’s unspoken plea, Haru leaned across Makoto’s thick body to capture his lips in a desperate kiss.

Haru tried to convey his reassurance through the movement of his lips and tongue.

_It’s going to be okay._

_I’ve got you._

_I’ll make you feel good._

_You’re amazing._

Makoto moaned into Haru’s mouth—subconsciously rocking back onto Haru’s fingers as they deepened their kiss.

Feeling Makoto’s entrance clench and unclench against Haru’s fingers every time he rocked his hips caused Haru’s cock to twitch in arousal—a needy moan slipping past his lips into Makoto’s mouth.

“Haru-chan, will you please take me soon?  I want you to be inside me—I want to be filled by Haru-chan.”  Both boys blushed at Makoto’s honest words.  Haru kissed along Makoto’s neck, to his shoulder blades, down his spine, to his dimples of Venus, before sitting upright and plunging his fingers into Makoto’s entrance with several final thrusts, before withdrawing completely.

Makoto whined at the abrupt loss of heat—wriggling his hind side as a taunt for Haru to fill him once more.

“Be patient, Makoto.  I’ll reward you soon enough.”

Makoto wailed in desperation and need—his desire to be filled by Haru’s throbbing cock consuming all rationale and thought.

“Haru-chan, Haruuu, _please._ ”

Makoto turned his gaze towards the stoic man, only to be met by his painfully neglected erection.

“Suck.”

“Wha—huh?”

“Be a good boy and take your senpai’s cock.”

Makoto blushed at Haru’s assertiveness.  “H-Haru!”

A deep blush spread across the stoic man’s cheeks.  “Sorry, but there isn’t any lubricant here, so we have to improvise.”

“Improvise?  Like…OH!  G—got it!  Sorry, Haru—I don’t mean to be frustrating, I’m just…really new to all of this.”

Haru reached down to lift Makoto’s chin to meet his gaze.

“Makoto, don’t ever apologize.  You’ve been perfect, and I’m not frustrated.”

“You’re not?”

“No.  In fact, I think it’s cute to watch your reactions.”  Haru leaned in closer, until his lips were lightly brushing against Makoto’s ear.  “It makes me very happy to know I’m the only one who gets to see Makoto like this…”

Makoto whimpered as Haru released his tongue to give the younger man’s lobe a long, seductive lick.

“You’re such a good boy, Makoto.  And you’re all mine.”

Haru pressed his lips hungrily against Makoto’s—pulling against the brunette’s hair to allow himself better access to his delectable mouth.

The two moaned into one another’s mouths, until Makoto finally pulled back, pupils blown.

“I want to taste you, Haruka.”

Haru did not skip a beat—quickly spreading his legs and rising to his knees.    
Makoto lowered himself towards the ground, before gripping along Haru’s shaft, and giving the head a tentative lick.

Haru hissed at the sudden wetness of Makoto’s mouth against his manhood.

_“Fuck!”_

Makoto took Haru’s flushed expression and parted lips gasping for air as a sign to continue.

Gingerly, Makoto moved his hand along Haru’s shaft—taking great care to pump the sleek length, while lapping his tongue against the head.

“Mako— _haah!_  That feels good.  Really good…”  Haru was ashamed for becoming so disheveled and aroused at just the feeling of Makoto lapping at his cock with such a gentle hold, but the younger male was far too alluring and beautiful for his own good.

Sensing Haru was on the brink of pleasure, Makoto slowly took the head into his mouth, sucking slightly, before moving his mouth down the shaft of Haru’s cock.

“ **M—Makoto!!**   _Mmm_ …”

Makoto proceeded to bob his head along Haru’s length at a tantalizingly slow pace—occasionally flicking his gaze upwards to catch Haru’s reaction.

“ _E—enough._  Hands and knees.   **Now.** ”

Obeying without question, Makoto allowed Haru’s cock to slip past his mouth—saliva and pre-cum trailing from his lips as he hurriedly got into position in front of Haru—purposely arching his back as if to display his readiness to be claimed by his trusted companion.

The older man possessively gripped onto Makoto’s hips, pulling him flush up against his torso.

Makoto moaned as soon as Haru’s erection came into contact with his hind side.

“Haru, please take me—I’m all yours.”

A primal growl surged from Haru’s lips, as he wetted his fingers, and plunged into Makoto’s entrance once more in preparation.

“ _Ahhh,_ Haru!”

Before retreating from Makoto’s welcoming heat, Haru hooked his fingers in the spot he learned was Makoto’s favorite.

“ **AAAHHH,** _HAH!!_  Haru!   _Haruka…_ ”

Makoto tilted his head back to send a glazed expression—his eyes consumed with lust and an unbreakable sense of trust in the man who held him at his mercy.

“Are you ready, Makoto?”

“Yes, Haru-chan.   _Yes._ ”

Utilizing one of his hands to spread apart Makoto’s taunt ass, and his other to firmly grasp his own leaking cock, Haru teasingly slapped the tip of his cock against Makoto’s firm ring of muscle—watching in lewd delight as his pre-cum splattered and slicked up Makoto’s sensitive area.  The toying act earned an impatient moan from the taller man, as he subconsciously began rocking his hips into Haru’s touch.

Haru continued the process for several rounds—alternating between slapping the head of his cock against Makoto’s aching hole, to sliding his entire length in between Makoto’s cheeks and enjoying the friction created from thrusting his cock between the deliciously plump curves of Makoto’s ass, hugging him tightly.

Makoto completely disregarded any sense of dignity and self-awareness, as he began to moan uncontrollably—his back perfectly arched in submission and desire to be taken.  His eyes were glazed with lust, his breathing erratic—lips open and panting as a string of saliva started to trickle past his lips.  Makoto’s grip against the carpet was so intense, the whites of his knuckles were growing more apparent by the second.

He was the utter definition of wrecked—and Haru hadn’t even been inside him yet.

Unable to resist the palpable desire to bury himself deep within Makoto’s virginal hole, Haru took ahold of his cock, and carefully, but firmly, pressed his head against Makoto’s slick ring of muscle.

“Mmph!!  Haru-chan, are you…?”

Haru met Makoto’s wandering eyes—his expression firm and resolute.

_Yes.  I’m going to take you now._

Haru pushed his tip inside of the resisting muscle.

 _ **“Ngh!!”**_  Makoto clenched his teeth, his back tensing in defense to the unfamiliar intrusion.

Haru placed a reassuring touch along Makoto’s back—letting his fingertips softly trail along Makoto’s spine as he gave the taller man a chance to adjust to the heat of being stretched.

“It’s okay, Makoto.  You’re doing great.”   Haru continued to sweetly coo Makoto into unclenching.

“Just try to relax.  The worst part is getting it inside—but once I’m in, I’ll be able to start making you feel good.”

Having complete trust and faith in the authenticity of his senior’s words, the muscles in Makoto’s shoulders slowly began to unravel and loosen—his spine once again arching in order to allow Haru easier and greater access to sliding inside of him.

“Good boy.”

Haru smirked as he watched the tips of Makoto’s ears turn red.  Knowing he was momentarily distracted by Haru’s praise, the older man pressed the remainder of his cock’s head inside of Makoto’s resilient heat.

“ ** _Aaahhh,_ hah!! **  Haruuu.”  Makoto began whimpering against the carpet—the pain of being stretched impossibly wide searing into his abdomen.

At the sound of his name, Haru swiftly swooped down to place a slew of gentle, reassuring kisses along his coworker’s back.  “It’s okay, Makoto—you’re doing great.  You’re taking me so well.” 

Makoto turned his head to stare questioningly at his lover.  Catching onto Makoto’s unspoken uncertainty, Haru loosened his grip against Makoto’s hips, and began massaging his companion’s sun-kissed skin with the pads of his thumbs.

“Truly, Makoto—for your first time, you’re adjusting well.  So try not to worry too much.”

Makoto gave an appreciative smile.  “Thank you, Haru-chan.”

The two shared a tender moment, staring into one another’s eyes, while telepathically sharing their mutual feelings of adoration, trust, and desire.

Once certain he had conveyed his true feelings, Haru pressed into Makoto further—burying the first section of his shaft into Makoto’s slick heat.

It pained Haru to feel as Makoto’s inner walls clenched in discomfort.  Deciding that in order to help alleviate even a fraction of Makoto’s distress, Haru firmly slid his hands in between the crack of Makoto’s cheeks, and firmly pried them apart, spreading them wide in order to help open Makoto’s pink rim further—ultimately allowing his cock to better slide into the enchanting ring of muscle.

With the assistance of his hands helping to spread his ass apart, Haru was able to push the rest of his shaft inside of his companion.  Once nestled inside of Makoto’s heat, he allowed the younger man several moments to adjust to the foreign presence buried deep inside of his most intimate area. 

“Haru.”

“Yes, Makoto?”

“I think I’m ready.”

“ _Oh?”_

“You can start moving, if you want.”

A delicious smirk stretched along Haru’s swollen lips at the sight of a blushing Makoto—the beautiful crimson spreading past his neck and across his shoulder blades.

“Okay, Makoto.”  Haru slowly began to pull out of Makoto’s hole in preparation of diving right back inside of the inner wall his cock had decided to make its home.

“Makoto.  If at any point it gets to be too much, tell me, okay?”

“Okay, Haru-chan.”  Haru could practically see the smile in his words—the warmth in his voice causing Haru to yearn to draw nearer to the man who had consumed his thoughts since the fateful day they first met.

“You got through the hard part—now it’s time for your reward.”  Showing no hesitation, Haru rolled his hips back inside of Makoto’s entrance. 

The taller man threw his head back as a combination of a grunt and moan stirred from his throat.  Haru took his time stretching and loosening up the man beneath him—fully enjoying the feel of Makoto’s inner walls clenching against Haru’s cock once he entered to the hilt, and relax slightly as he slid it back out.  The illicit view of Makoto’s tight, pink rim being stretched wide thanks to Haru’s hands still firmly spreading his ass apart was proving to be too much for the older man—his breathing already erratic after only a few thrusts—his pupils blown wide, and sweat already dripping from his brow.

The amount of heat emitting from their conjoined bodies was beginning to fog Haru’s glasses, destroying his clear view of Makoto’s plump arse.

_“Makoto.”_

The man moaned in response—his voice laced with a seedy need to be marked and tainted by his older companion.

“Makoto.”

The brunette’s groans intensified, causing Haru’s cock to twitch inside of Makoto’s heat—which by the sound of Makoto’s needy whimpering, didn’t go unnoticed by either man.

“You feel so good, Makoto.”

As if urged on by Haru’s words, Makoto arched his back and began rolling his hips to meet with Haru’s—filling the air of the office with the slick sound of Haru’s sac slapping against Makoto’s pert ass.

“And your ass is incredible—taking everything and anything I have to give it.”  
Makoto’s skin turned red under Haru’s touch—clearly affected by his senpai’s words.

“Your virginal hole is so greedy, Makoto—it’s sucking me in so desperately, like it’s been dying to take my cock.”

Once again, Makoto moaned and whimpered in half-embarrassment, half-arousal.

“You should see the way your cute little rim twitches whenever I’ve almost pulled out—as if begging me to never leave.”

Makoto began rolling his hips against Haru’s movements more frantically—his brain completely overridden by the sheer lust and desire he felt for his coworker.

“So needy, Makoto.”

Before the brunette could respond, Haru swiftly slipped from Makoto’s twitching hole, and with wobbly legs, stood to his feet.  “Copier.  Now.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden demand—his body twitching from the sudden loss of heat.  Whimpering, Makoto stumbled to his feet, Haru catching him at one point, before the two shuffled across the office towards the copier room.

Without warning, Haru slammed Makoto against the copier.

“Spread ‘em.” 

Makoto’s face and neck turned a dark crimson—he craned his neck to stare at Haru with a look of apprehension and uncertainty.  Still, he obeyed the command, and spread his legs, slightly bending over to give Haru a peak at his now-swollen rim.

Haru released what could best be described as a primal growl—surging forward, and in an instant, was buried back inside of Makoto’s welcoming heat, expertly rolling his hips inside of the inexperienced man.

“ _Ahhh, **HAAAH!**_  Haru!”  Makoto shot a quick glance at the stoic man.

“S—sorry.  I don’t know how to control myself when you’re like this—completely wrecked and aching for my cock.”

Makoto whined in embarrassment, uncertain how to handle Haru’s incessant dirty talk.

As if able to read Makoto’s mind, Haru smirked as he continued, “You love this, don’t you?  Having your pretty little hole fucked by your senpai.”

Makoto’s moan was loud enough to reverberate off the walls of the room—echoing into the hallway.

_“Shit.”_

Far too turned on by the latest noise to escape Makoto’s lips, Haru began to fuck into him with abandon—the sound of the copier slamming against the wall ringing loudly in his ears.

The instant Haru felt Makoto’s inner walls twitching uncontrollably, he knew the younger male was close.

And just like that, Haru once again slipped from his tight heat, and stepped back.  Haru licked his lips in arousal and pride as he watched Makoto roll his ass into the air—desperate to find contact with anything that could give him a sense of relief to the overwhelming arousal he felt brimming from within his cock, and inside of his now throbbing rim.

“Almost, Makoto.  Rei’s office.  I want to fuck you against his desk—watch as you completely unravel onto the drafts of our stories together.  I want to fuck you so hard, that you’ll never be able to walk into his office again without remembering what it feels like to have me pressed between your perfect ass—taking you as a reward for all our hard work.”

Makoto turned to face his lover—his lips parted, panting harshly.  His pupils blown so wide, the forest-green hues of his breathtaking eyes were now but a faint ring.  With great intention, Makoto walked towards Haru, and captured his lips between his teeth—biting slightly, before slipping his tongue inside of the wet contours of Haru’s mouth. 

Haru started walking backwards, as Makoto pushed him towards the direction of Rei’s office.

The amount of dominance and control Makoto had in that moment sent a tantalizing jolt of electricity down Haru’s spine, and straight to his cock—causing it to twitch against Makoto’s, and earning a moan from both men.

Haru stumbled once his hind side came into contact with Rei’s desk.

“Haruka.”

The stoic man shivered at how desperate and heavy his name fell from Makoto’s abused lips.

“Just promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”  Haru’s breathing was incredibly unstable—his body trembling in an awe-consuming sense of need and desire to be flushed up against the man of his affections.

“Next time, you let me take control.  I want to be the one to make you beg for it.”

Haru’s cock was surely going to become accustomed to jumping to life anytime it heard Makoto’s voice, at this point.  The taller, beautiful, once-innocent man was proving to be far more than he could have ever imagined.

And it was perfect.

It was better than anything he could’ve dreamed.

Makoto was better than anything, or anyone, he could’ve envisioned.

“Deal.”

For a brief moment, Makoto’s expression returned to its usual boyish and enthusiastic glow, before quickly resuming back to the hormonal-ridden, wrecked, and utterly desperate state Haru had left him in.

The two quickly switched positions, Haru frantically throwing files and papers to the floor, to make room for Makoto to lower himself onto the desk, and sprawl his legs wide to allow Haru the chance to resume their intense love making.

As Haru’s lining himself up against Makoto’s swollen rim, the taller man has a brief moment of hesitance.

“Umm, what are the odds of Ryugazaki-san finding out about this?”

A playful glint of mischief danced along Haru’s sapphire hues.  “Depends on how much I make you cum.”

Makoto’s cheeks dusted a dark pink.

“But lucky for you, with all the cleaning supplies we have on hand, I’m sure we can get rid of the evidence.”

Makoto gazed into Haru’s eyes—completely trusting—despite feeling unsure of being able to keep their current sexscapade hidden from their attentive boss.

“But isn’t that part of the thrill?  The possibility of our boss, or coworkers, finding out that I claimed your body and soul right here, on this desk?”  Haru pushed inside of Makoto—already feeling himself on the brink of release.

“How desperate you were for me to fuck you and take you whole?  How good it felt to lay beneath me as I took care of you and made you cum harder than you could’ve ever imagined?”

Makoto moaned, low and forlorn. 

It was clear.

He wanted Haru.  He needed him.

He had never wanted anything— _anyone_ —more, in his entire life.

Recognizing how close he was to hitting the brink of exhaustion, and spilling his essence deep inside of the caverns of Makoto’s delectable heat, Haru decided to fit in one final taunt.

“You know, despite how long we’ve been at it, you’re still pretty tight, _Mackerel-boy._ ”

Makoto half-chuckled at the nickname.  He glanced up to smile endearingly at his senior, a flicker of devilment coursing through his gaze.

“Well, then I suppose from here on out, I’ll leave it to Saba-man to properly loosen me up.”

Haru felt his cheeks flush in a duel sense of arousal and sick satisfaction at having finally broken Makoto’s innocence.

“Fuck, I want you.”  Haru fervently thrusted his hips against Makoto’s—aching to claim every inch of the younger man—to make him feel as incredible as he made Haru feel—to assure him that he had made the right choice in choosing Haru—that the older male had absolutely no intention of ever letting Makoto out of his sight, now that he had found, and fallen for his kindred spirit.

“Makoto… _Makoto_.”

Haru was close—so close he could feel his hips shuddering and faltering in their rhythm.  And by the utter look of bliss and euphoria on Makoto’s face as Haru continued to rail against his sweet spot, he wasn’t the only one about to cum all over their boss’ desk.

“Haru… ** _Haruka,_** I…”

Makoto’s face turned a bright shade of red.  Haru watched the man lying beneath him curiously, cautiously—not wanting to miss a single shift, movement, or flicker of emotion on his handsome face.

“I, uh, want— _haaah!_ Oh, **_YES!_** ”  Makoto briefly faltered in spitting out whatever it was he wanted to say, when Haru roughly pressed against his prostate.

“I—I want to do this again.  With Haru.”

The older male nodded in understanding, and acceptance.

Finding more confidence, Makoto continued, “I want to touch Haru, and for Haru to touch me.  Again, and again, and again.”

Haru moaned at the thought of being able to take Makoto whenever he wanted.  To be able to reach out and grope Makoto’s perfectly sculpted ass whenever he wanted.  To kiss those beautiful, succulent lips whenever he got the urge.  To lean onto the tips of his toes, so that he could press his forehead against Makoto’s in reassurance and acceptance.

“I want to be with Haru.  I only want Haru.”  Makoto’s voice came out more resolute than before—his true intentions coming forth without reservation.

“I want you, Haru-chan.  All of you.”

For whatever reason, Makoto’s final words of acceptance and desire pushed Haru over the edge—his hips harshly slamming against Makoto’s, fervidly pouring his seed deep inside of the caverns of Makoto’s once-untouched hole.  Haru gasped loudly as he proceeded to roll his hips deeply inside of Makoto’s used entrance, until he was sure he had released all of his seed inside of him—thoroughly claiming and marking the younger man as his, and his alone.

Makoto came within seconds of Haru, sensually arching his back against the wood of Rei’s desk—revealing his neck as he threw his head back in a shameless moan of release and ecstasy.

Haru’s limbs immediately went limp from the intensity of his orgasm.  Without grace or finesse, Haru climbed on top of the desk, and curled next to Makoto’s side—laying his head against Makoto’s sturdy chest, before lazily draping an arm around his waist.

The two were far too worn to care to clean up the sticky mess covering the broad expanse of Makoto’s abdomen, nor the white liquid that was slowly trickling from the cavity between Makoto’s thighs.

“You’re amazing, Haru-chan.”  Makoto chucked slightly—his words breathless, eyes glazed over in fascination and wonderment at having met such a unique and wonderful companion.

“You are too…”  Haru mumbled—his heart racing uncontrollably due to the overwhelming amount of feelings he held for the man lying beside him.

“Hmm?  What’s that, Haru-chan?”  Makoto slightly turned his head to get a better view of the taciturn man resting against him.

“I said, you are too.”  Haru could feel his cheeks burn at the transparency of his words.

Seeing how bright Makoto’s eyes lit up with joy, Haru felt compelled to continue.

“And I do too, you know…want you.”

A brief look of confusion shadowed Makoto’s perfectly sculpted face.

“Huh?”

“All of you.  I want all of you, Makoto” 

Despite feeling suffocatingly vulnerable from the rawness of his words, Haru held Makoto’s gaze, unfaltering.

“H—Haru, do you…“

“So from now on, you’re mine.” 

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock at the explicit possessiveness.

“And I’m yours.  Deal?”

Words could not describe the look of unadulterated affection, understanding, and jubilation that radiated from Makoto’s face at that moment—because frankly, there were not enough letters in the alphabet to begin to properly formulate a word that could do Makoto’s tender expression justice.

Haru took a mental photograph of the ethereal raw emotion washing over Makoto’s face, before he felt a pair of firm, strong lips press against his own.

Haru allowed himself to melt into the kiss—his hand absent-mindedly trailing along Makoto’s dampened skin, and becoming entangled in the fluffy locks of his lover’s sandy-blonde hair.

Makoto returned the action, firmly wrapping a protective arm across Haru’s waist, and bringing the other to cup the soft, gentle curve of Haru’s cheek.

Like this, Haru felt like the justice duo could conquer anything.  Together, the two would overcome any obstacle or obtrusion that dared to come their way.

Because Haru and Makoto, Saba-man and Mackerel-boy, were two bodies in perfect sync—working in harmony to achieve the same goal.

Their hearts and minds were connected by something far deeper and exponentially more powerful than either could possibly comprehend.  And because they had managed to find one another in the limitless expanse of the earth, they knew that fate was on their side.  And together, they would break down any barriers that would futilely try to come against the duo and their plight for justice, and love.

##          *******

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feel free to find me at _right---meow.tumblr.com_ to say hi or gush over how delightful Scar and makoharu are X3 LOL! 
> 
> Happy birthday again, beautiful Scar!! And thank you ladygt for being a godsend with your amazing fanart X3 You two are both such blessings to the fandom! :3 <3


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